A contempt petition has been filed before the Supreme Court alleging non-compliance by the Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly in deciding disqualification petitions against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs who defected to the Congress. The petition contends that the Speaker failed to act within the three-month timeline laid down by the Supreme Court in its judgment dated July 31.

The matter was mentioned before Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, who agreed to list the petition for hearing next Monday. Counsel for the petitioner submitted that the Speaker has neither initiated nor conducted proceedings, and that the defected MLAs continue to hold office despite the Court’s clear direction that prolonged delay could attract adverse inference.

The counsel urged for an urgent listing, alleging that the respondents are attempting to delay the matter until the end of the month due to “obvious reasons,” indirectly referring to the impending retirement of CJI Gavai on November 23. In response, CJI Gavai remarked, “Supreme Court will not close after the 24th of November,” indicating that adjudication will continue unaffected.

The contempt plea arises from the Supreme Court’s judgment delivered by a bench comprising CJI Gavai and Justice A.G. Masih in petitions filed by BRS leaders K.T. Rama Rao, Padi Kaushik Reddy, and K.O. Vivekanand concerning the defection of ten BRS MLAs to the Congress. The Court had directed the Speaker to decide the disqualification proceedings under the Tenth Schedule within three months from July 31.

With the alleged non-action by the Speaker, the petitioners now seek the Court’s intervention to ensure implementation of its earlier directive.